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Five card draw: how to play and what to keep

Updated November 2026

In five card draw each player gets five private cards, there's a round of betting, then you can swap some of your cards for new ones, and a second round of betting decides it. Nothing is shared, so nobody sees anyone else's cards until the end.

  1. Everyone antes
  2. Five cards each, face down
  3. Betting round
  4. Swap up to three cards
  5. Betting round
  6. Best five-card hand wins
What to keep
A pairKeep the pair, draw three
Two pairKeep both, draw one
Four to a flushDraw one
Four in a rowDraw one

How does a hand go?

Everyone puts in an ante, a small forced bet. You're dealt five cards face down and there's a round of betting, starting left of the dealer.

Then each player still in discards the cards they don't want and gets new ones, usually up to three. A second round of betting follows, and then the best hand takes the pot. Hands rank in the normal order.

In numbers
Your cards5
Shared cards0
Betting rounds2

What are you likely to be dealt?

Five cards with no draw gives you nothing at all about half the time. A pair is the next most common hand, and anything better is rare.

What you're dealt, per 100 hands

All 2,598,960 five-card hands counted

How much does the draw help?

  • A pair, draw threeYou improve about 29 times in 100, mostly to two pair or three of a kind.
  • Four to a flush, draw oneNine cards in the 47 left give you a flush: 19.1%.
  • Four in a row, open at both endsEight cards in 47 finish it: 17.0%.
  • A gap in the middleFour cards in 47: 8.5%. That's rarely worth paying for.

What does a player's draw tell you?

A lot. The number of cards someone takes is the biggest clue in the game. Taking three usually means a pair. Taking one means two pair or a draw. Taking none means a strong hand or a bluff.

He takes
3 cardsUsually a pair
1 cardTwo pair or a draw
0 cardsStrong, or bluffing

What should you do differently from Hold'em?

  • Open with strong handsMany home games use "jacks or better": you need at least a pair of jacks to bet first.
  • Don't draw to a gapA straight draw with a hole in it hits only about 1 time in 12.
  • Watch the drawYou see nothing of their cards, so the number they swap is the only thing to go on.

Can you play it?

Twelve spots in three rounds.

Questions players ask

How many cards can you swap?

Usually up to three, and some home games allow four if you keep an ace.

Is five card draw the same as video poker?

Video poker uses the same hands and the draw, but you play against a pay table with no other players.

Is five card draw good for beginners?

It's simple and fun. For a game you'll find everywhere, Texas Hold'em is a better first choice.

How the numbers on this page were worked out

Starting hands are counted from all 2,598,960 five-card hands. Draw chances are outs divided by the 47 cards you can't see.

Know someone who still plays draw at the kitchen table?

Send them this page.